Phenobarbital in intensive care unit pediatric population: predictive performances of population pharmacokinetic model.

An external evaluation of phenobarbital population pharmacokinetic model described by Marsot et al. was performed in pediatric intensive care unit. Model evaluation is an important issue for dose adjustment.

Outcome Comparison in Children Undergoing Extracorporeal Life Support Initiated at a Local Hospital by a Mobile Cardiorespiratory Assistance Unit or at a Referral Center.

Purpose: To compare characteristics and outcome in children undergoing extracorporeal life support initiated in an extracorporeal life support center or at the patient's bedside in a local hospital, by means of a mobile cardiorespiratory assistance unit.

Methods: A retrospective study in a single PICU during 6 years. Extracorporeal life support was started either in our center (control group) or in the local hospital (mobile cardiorespiratory assistance unit group).

Post intubation tracheal stenosis in children.

Many authors have reported that tracheal stenosis is a complication that can follow tracheal intubation in both adults and children. The symptoms, when they do appear, can be confused with asthma, with subsequent treatment providing only mild and inconsistent relief. We report here the case of an 8 year old girl admitted to our hospital for whooping cough that was not responding to therapy.

[To maintain or to withdraw life support? Variations on the methods of ending life in a pediatric intensive care unit over a period of 6 years].

Since 2005, forgoing live-support (FLS) is allowed by the French law (known as the Leonetti law) for end-of-life patients only. This study aims at describing the variations over time in the use of the following methods to end life: FLS, brain death and cardiopulmonary resuscitation failure (CPR failure). It is a single retrospective study from 2007 to 2012.

[Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease? Two case studies of children with group A streptococcal pneumonia empyema].

We report 2 cases of children with group A streptococcus pyogenes pleuropneumonia, in one child associated with Kawasaki disease and in the other with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. These 2 features, with theoretically well-defined clinical and biological criteria, are difficult to differentiate in clinical practice, however, likely due to their pathophysiological links. In case of clinical doubt, an echocardiography needs to be performed to search for coronary involvement and treatment including intravenous immunoglobulins, and an antibiotic with an anti-toxin effect such as clindamycin has to be started early.

[Amanita proxima poisoning in a child].

Mushroom intoxication due to Amanita proxima poisoning is characterized by moderate gastrointestinal symptoms, followed by severe acute renal failure and sometimes by hepatic cytolysis. This syndrome was described in the 1990s in the southeast of France; we report here the first pediatric case, requiring dialysis but achieving complete recovery. The mother of this 11-year-old boy, who had eaten the same mushrooms but in smaller quantities, had only biological renal and hepatic involvement.

[A rare cause of sudden cardiac failure: histiocytoid cardiomyopathy].

Histiocytoid cardiomyopathy is a rare disease which occurs predominantly in the first two years of life, with a female preponderance. We report the cases of two girls (11 and 15-month-old) which were respectively referred to our institution for ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation without prodroma. Etiologic findings only showed mild cardiomyopathy.

Acute effect of a dual ETA-ETB receptor antagonist on pulmonary arterial vasculature in preterm lamb fetuses with surgically induced diaphragmatic hernia.

Purpose: To study the effects of tezosentan, a dual ETA and ETB receptor antagonist on the cardiopulmonary profile in a fetal lamb model of CDH in utero.

Methods: A diaphragmatic hernia was surgically created at day 75 of gestation. During 45 min of tezosentan perfusion (1 mg/kg), hemodynamic parameters (pulmonary and aortic pressures, left pulmonary and aortic flows, left auricle pressure, heart rate) were measured at day 135 of gestation.

Initial predictive factors of outcome in severe non-accidental head trauma in children.

Object: The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of young children hospitalized for non-accidental head trauma in our PICU, to evaluate PRISM II score in this sub-population of pediatric trauma and to identify factors that might influence the short-term outcome.

Materials And Methods: Files of all children less than 2 years old with the diagnosis of non-accidental head trauma over a 10-years period were systematically reviewed. We collected data on demographic information, medical history, clinical status, and management in the PICU.

[Respiratory complications of accidental drownings in children].

Accidental drownings are severe and sometimes mortal events in children. Our study aims to better clarify the epidemiology and the respiratory complications of these accidents in our hospital. We led a retrospective study over 10 years concerning the children hospitalized for accidental drowning in our hospital centre.

[Extracorporeal membranous oxygenation in severe infant pertussis: a case report].

Pertussis is a leading cause of death from community infections in infant. Life-threatening clinical presentations of pertussis can associate multiple organ system failure with respiratory distress. The question of the optimal management of these severe forms of pertussis, in order to reduce the high mortality rate, is raised by the clinicians caring for such patients.

Phasic hemodynamics and reverse blood flows in the aortic isthmus and pulmonary arteries of preterm lambs with pulmonary vascular dysfunction.

Time-domain representations of the fetal aortopulmonary circulation were carried out in lamb fetuses to study hemodynamic consequences of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and the effects of endothelin-receptor antagonist tezosentan (3 mg/45 min). From the isthmic aortic and left pulmonary artery (PA) flows (Q) and isthmic aortic, PA, and left auricle pressures (P) on day 135 in 10 controls and 7 CDH fetuses (28 ewes), discrete-triggered P and Q waveforms were modelized as Pt and Qt functions to obtain basic hemodynamic profiles, pulsatile waves [P, Q, and entry impedance (Ze)], and P and Q hysteresis loops. In the controls, blood propelling energy was accounted for by biventricular ejection flow waves (kinetic energy) with low Ze and by flow-driven pressure waves (potential energy) with low Ze.

[Steroids in the critical care children with septic shock and other conditions].

Steroids are indicated in paediatric intensive care as anti-inflammatory drugs or for substitutive treatment. During septic shock, the incidence of adrenal insufficiency (AI) varies between 18 à 52%, depending on the relative or absolute nature of the AI. Contrary to adults, for whom long courses of low doses of corticosteroids were shown to reduce mortality and increased shock reversibility, particularly in those with a negative synacthene test, no study provided sufficient evidence to show a benefit of steroids in terms of outcome in children with septic shock.

Recent developments in the perioperative fluid management for the paediatric patient.

Purpose Of Review: Maintenance fluid therapy represents the volume of fluids and amount of electrolytes and glucose needed to replace anticipated physiological losses from breath, sweat and urine and to prevent hypoglycaemia. For 50 years, this therapy was based on Holliday and Segar's formula, which proposed to match children's water and electrolyte requirements on a weight-based calculation using hypotonic solutions. Recent publications highlight the risk of hyponatraemia in the postoperative period and the facilitating role of a hypotonic infusion, leading some people to recommend replacing hypotonic with isotonic solutions.

[Postoperative hyponatremia in children: pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment].

Objectives: To review the current data on pathophysiology, causes and management of postoperative hyponatremia in children.

Data Sources And Extraction: The Pubmed database was searched for articles, combined with references analysis of major articles on the field.

Data Synthesis: The incidence of postoperative hyponatremia has been evaluated at 0.

High plasma ropivacaine concentrations after fascia iliaca compartment block in children.

Background: The pharmacokinetic profile of local anaesthetics is influenced by the mode of administration. We sought to compare the pharmacokinetics of two doses of ropivacaine after fascia iliaca compartment (FIC) block in children.

Methods: In this prospective, double-blind study, children received an FIC block as a part of their anaesthetic management during elective orthopaedic surgery on the thigh.